Top Iranians Trade Barbs in Rare Public Feud

By

Farnaz Fassihi

Feb. 4, 2013 7:33 p.m. ET

BEIRUT—Two of the heavyweights in Iranian politics attacked each other with accusations of blackmail, corruption and mafia-like rule, in a boisterous and unprecedented public confrontation that brings a simmering political feud into the open months ahead of presidential elections.

By Monday morning, YouTube and most Iranian news websites had posted transcripts, audio and video recordings of the exchange between President Mahmoud...